Labour is now repealing the Safety of Rwanda Act
The Rwanda plan, which was ruled unlawful by the UK Supreme Court, cost £715 million in taxpayer money, and did not result in the deportation of any asylum seekers.
Last December, the Home Office provided a list of the scheme’s costs including £270 million to support economic development in Rwanda, £95 million on detention and reception centres and £280 million on “other fixed costs”.
An additional £50 million was spent preparing for deportation flights that never took off.
According to Tortoise Media, £37.8 million of that was allocated to hiring and training security escorts for deportees.
Another £8 million went towards airfield preparations, while £4 million covered the cost of policing the airfield.
Just £200,000 was spent on the flights themselves.
In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the plan was unlawful as deporting migrants to Rwanda would breach British and international human rights laws and agreements.
The government will repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act as part of its new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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